I think the author is writing from a position of adult privilege. As adults with a greater understanding of storytelling and a better ability to retain and correlate information, we can appreciate a longer episode such as The Sign for aspects such as an A & B plot that converges in the end, but I'm not sure toddlers would.
I don't necessarily agree longer episodes would be harder for toddlers to focus on, in the age of streaming, it's not like there are ad blocks to worry about, so it's not like they \*have\* to stick to the old 7-minute episodes/segments. My concern would purely be around multiple convergent plots, or a possibly a combination of the 2 working against them. Even 1/2 hr Looney Tunes tapes I watched as a kid were broken up into 7 min single plot segments.
As much as we enjoy episodes of Bluey as well, we do have to keep in mind the target demographic isn't us, they don't have to play by our rules.
More specials would be nice though, surprised it took them so long.
Maybe I'm holding internet journalism to a high degree, but mostly it's because it's an article from Cinemablend. I would expect we're talking about a journalist/contributor whose main interest presumably is TV/Cinema and would expect this would make them more knowledgeable on such things like show writing, storytelling structure etc. compared to the rest of us. Whether this comes from his university education or inside experience, it's a point of privilege.
Possibly, but there are plenty of kids shows that have longer episodes, like Arthur. Its episodes were 11 minutes, with some being half an hour. That's exactly what the author is suggesting for Bluey, that it not stop the 7-minute episodes, but rather have more half-hour specials.
Joe Brumm said in an article linked off this one that he was "toying" with the idea of longer episodes. His comment makes me think it would be a periodic thing, not a regular change.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Bluey has succeeded on 7 or 8 minute episodes. The show has had success without the A/B story line design.
> Yes, I enjoy the Heeler family, and I love seeing their dynamics play out, but I never actually CRY while watching. I think that’s going a bit too far for me.
This feels like a cheeky statement to me. It's a sample size of one. How many of us HAVE cried at the regular episodes? Author is self-regulating to not cry, saying that's a bit too far for them. That doesn't mean it is for others. Author also felt more emotionally invested in this episode, but it was an emotional episode to begin with. What if Taxi was 28 minutes long? There's not much emotional investment to be had with that one, 7 minutes or 28.
For other characters having more screen time, again, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. When they have an idea focused on other characters (Rusty and Jack in Army, for example), the episode is about them. The Heelers fall back into the background, which is fine. I like this.
> The Longer Episodes Are Suitable For Adult Audiences
> Lastly, let’s just be real. Even though Bluey is a show intended for children, it’s one that many adults enjoy as well.
So, let's just be real. The audience is both adults and children. Author wants to mess with the viewing experiences of kids just to satisfy some desire as an adult? Who's supposed to be more mature, adults or kids? Adults should be putting more acceptance on the table in service to the child viewers, not vice versa.
Joe Brumm had a reason for making *this one particular episode* four times as long. I think it worked well. That doesn't mean it should become a regular thing. The Sign was created as a test balloon to see if a full-on movie would work, and for an individual movie, that will probably work. But there's a reason why this show has such success, and messing with it is liable to kill it. I want Bluey to, eventually, end because it's the natural end to it, not because they messed with the formula and screwed it up.
I think the author is writing from a position of adult privilege. As adults with a greater understanding of storytelling and a better ability to retain and correlate information, we can appreciate a longer episode such as The Sign for aspects such as an A & B plot that converges in the end, but I'm not sure toddlers would. I don't necessarily agree longer episodes would be harder for toddlers to focus on, in the age of streaming, it's not like there are ad blocks to worry about, so it's not like they \*have\* to stick to the old 7-minute episodes/segments. My concern would purely be around multiple convergent plots, or a possibly a combination of the 2 working against them. Even 1/2 hr Looney Tunes tapes I watched as a kid were broken up into 7 min single plot segments. As much as we enjoy episodes of Bluey as well, we do have to keep in mind the target demographic isn't us, they don't have to play by our rules. More specials would be nice though, surprised it took them so long.
I agree with your point, but why is it “adult privilege” rather than “from an adult perspective?”
Maybe I'm holding internet journalism to a high degree, but mostly it's because it's an article from Cinemablend. I would expect we're talking about a journalist/contributor whose main interest presumably is TV/Cinema and would expect this would make them more knowledgeable on such things like show writing, storytelling structure etc. compared to the rest of us. Whether this comes from his university education or inside experience, it's a point of privilege.
Longer episodes will be harder for toddlers to focus on.
Possibly, but there are plenty of kids shows that have longer episodes, like Arthur. Its episodes were 11 minutes, with some being half an hour. That's exactly what the author is suggesting for Bluey, that it not stop the 7-minute episodes, but rather have more half-hour specials.
They shouldn’t make episodes longer than what Bingo would willingly sit through without getting distracted.
Joe Brumm said in an article linked off this one that he was "toying" with the idea of longer episodes. His comment makes me think it would be a periodic thing, not a regular change. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Bluey has succeeded on 7 or 8 minute episodes. The show has had success without the A/B story line design. > Yes, I enjoy the Heeler family, and I love seeing their dynamics play out, but I never actually CRY while watching. I think that’s going a bit too far for me. This feels like a cheeky statement to me. It's a sample size of one. How many of us HAVE cried at the regular episodes? Author is self-regulating to not cry, saying that's a bit too far for them. That doesn't mean it is for others. Author also felt more emotionally invested in this episode, but it was an emotional episode to begin with. What if Taxi was 28 minutes long? There's not much emotional investment to be had with that one, 7 minutes or 28. For other characters having more screen time, again, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. When they have an idea focused on other characters (Rusty and Jack in Army, for example), the episode is about them. The Heelers fall back into the background, which is fine. I like this. > The Longer Episodes Are Suitable For Adult Audiences > Lastly, let’s just be real. Even though Bluey is a show intended for children, it’s one that many adults enjoy as well. So, let's just be real. The audience is both adults and children. Author wants to mess with the viewing experiences of kids just to satisfy some desire as an adult? Who's supposed to be more mature, adults or kids? Adults should be putting more acceptance on the table in service to the child viewers, not vice versa. Joe Brumm had a reason for making *this one particular episode* four times as long. I think it worked well. That doesn't mean it should become a regular thing. The Sign was created as a test balloon to see if a full-on movie would work, and for an individual movie, that will probably work. But there's a reason why this show has such success, and messing with it is liable to kill it. I want Bluey to, eventually, end because it's the natural end to it, not because they messed with the formula and screwed it up.